Blonde & Blue (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #4)(11)

I had to admit, some naive part of me had never entertained the idea of the kinds of fetish kills Arys had described. I didn’t want it to exist. I knew I lived in a world of blood and death. But this? This was beyond what I knew. It was vile.

Arys was surprisingly calm. “Retribution, I guess.”

“What does that mean?” I forced the question out, afraid to hear the answer.

“They took my guy apart piece by piece before they killed him. They spent all night doing it. This is a dead serious business, one I’ve managed to stay the hell away from. Until now.” The troubled shadows in Arys’ midnight blue eyes were chilling. “They’ll want Harley’s killers to take his place in their circle. Or, they might just want an excuse to stir up shit in our city. It’s hard to say really.”

“Piece by piece?” I sputtered around a sip of coffee.

“With Harley missing and his Vegas businesses shut down, I can imagine it had a big impact on them. It’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do.”

Shaz resumed his slow pacing. I wanted to tell him to sit down already because it was driving me crazy, but it seemed to be keeping him from jumping all over Arys. He was angry though. I could feel it rolling off him.

“So all this power you and Alexa have, enough that she killed Harley … none of this means anything to them? It doesn’t protect you or make you a threat to these people?” Shaz’ tone was accusing, and his clenched fists shook. “If not, then what the f**k is it good for? It has just put all of us in danger.”

Arys made a frustrated noise that sounded a little too close to a growl for my liking. “Look, wolf,” he snapped. “Nobody has power like what I share with Alexa, but power comes in many forms. There are others that possess enough to make them a serious force to be reckoned with, and there are a lot of them. The vampires that benefit from a blood ring like this are nothing like the bottom feeders you see at The Wicked Kiss. This is a whole different kind of vampire, my friend, and they are not f**king around.”

“Oh yeah?” Shaz snarled with a viciousness that had me up off my chair. “Where do you fit in, Arys? What kind of vampire are you?”

“Ok guys, that’s enough.” I didn’t give Arys a chance to snap back at Shaz. Arys had done some horrific things to his victims in the past. That wasn’t the point right now. “Let’s try to keep our heads here. This is obviously stressful enough without taking shots at each other.”

They both continued to glare darkly at one another though they remained silent. Shaz sat down in the chair I’d just vacated, a major relief. He was quiet when he spoke next.

“So what do we do then? Wait around for these bastards to show their faces?”

“I wish I could tell you.” Arys didn’t look at him when he replied. “I don’t know what they intend to do. All I know is that if they want something, they’ll come for it.”

I had to resist the urge to take up pacing where Shaz left off. I felt restless and trapped. “So, this is like the vampire mob or something? I don’t want any part of it.”

Arys actually chuckled at that, and I frowned. “Oh, Alexa. Sometimes I forget how new to this world you still are. These creatures are killers and nothing less. They want the pain and the agony of their victim more than they want the actual death. Dragging out every moment until that final breath, for days even, that’s what they enjoy. They are not vampires consuming blood to survive. They are true killers that make death an art form.”

“Ok,” I murmured more to myself than to either of them. “No reassurance there.”

“What is it that makes you so different?” Shaz’ question rang with challenge. “You’re a killer, Arys.”

I tensed, fearing what Arys might say to that. He was a killer, there was no disputing that. But, I’d killed too without reason and would have done so again if Kale hadn’t stopped me. Could Shaz judge Arys as a killer without including me in that?

Arys rose and headed for the short flight of stairs that led up to the main level from the sunken living room. He paused at the bottom and looked thoughtfully at Shaz. “Even I know that you’re not truly that narrow-minded, pup. You were right there by Alexa’s side when she killed Harley. You tore his throat out, did you not? Like it or not, we’re in this together. Better get used to it.”

I followed Arys to the front door, exhaustion setting in. Sunrise couldn’t come fast enough. All I wanted to do was drop into bed. So much for that bath I’d planned.

“This will all blow over. Right?” I could hear the uncertainty in my voice, and it made me cringe.

Arys drew me into his embrace, hugging me close. He deeply inhaled my scent, and I snuggled in closer.

“Of course,” he whispered. “We’ll deal with it. In the meantime, stay alert. Make sure you’re not followed, and try not to be out alone too often until this is settled. Shaz, too.”

His kiss was loving and tender. I melted when he slipped his tongue into my mouth. I would have had much more appreciation for it if we hadn’t just been discussing fetish kills for vampires.

The pre-dawn sky was beginning to show signs of the coming sunrise. Reluctantly, Arys pulled away and opened the door. I watched him disappear into what remained of the night. I was coming to realize that there was no such thing as a normal life. Not for me. At least, not anymore.